The development of "emotional intelligence" is important to adult work and family life, but many young people arrive in adulthood with incomplete emotional skills, according to lead author Reed W. Larson, of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

The preliminary findings, published in the journal Child Development, suggest that under the right conditions, adolescents can strengthen their emotional skills via youth programs and schools that provide conditions that facilitate emotional learning.

The researchers conducted open-ended interviews and observations to gain an in-depth understanding of one setting -- a high school theater program. Ten teenagers were interviewed every two weeks over a three-month period while the theater group rehearsed a musical.

During the rehearsals, teenagers reported frequent emotional experiences, including disappointment, anger, anxiety and exhilaration. The program helped the teens learn to respond constructively.

The adults provided models and helped the teens cultivate strategies to manage strong emotions, the study said. The youth learned from repeatedly using these strategies to employ positive emotions to motivate their work; they also learned how to manage their own and others' negative emotions.